Rotary engine.



J. GRAVES.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15, 1915- f ffijmfin Patented Ma 29, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET ,l

IKL Nmwms Ps'rcRs CONPHOTU-LIYNOH wAsw vcm/v. d c.

Patented May 29, 1917.

2 SHEET S-SHEET 2- J. GRAVES.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-16,1915.

Invem'fiov %& Z4 v m vi'btor'me g" an smarts rarwr ante.

JOHN GRAVES, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, .ASSIGNOR 0F SEVENTY-FTVE ONE- I-IUNDBEDTHS TO JOSEPH H. RAPEL AND TVENTY-FIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO 'JESSE E. MATTESON, BOTH OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed December 16, 1915. Serial No. 67,129.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN GRAVES, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that type of rotary motors disclosed by the patent to Farmer, No. 739,27t, and the patent to Bardenwerper, No. 788,890.

In this type of motor it has been difficult to obtain a constantly fluid-tight jointat the union of the revoluble cylinder-carrying member, or rotor, and the inlet and exhaust chamber. In the motor disclosed by the above patents, the joint is in a plane trans versely of the shaft and any variation in the length of the shaft, due to change of temperature, would materially vary the tightness of the joint, while the stationary chamber through which the expansive fluid enters the motor is forced outward by internal pressure, whereby steam or other expansive fluid is liable to escape from the space thus produced between the stationary chamber and the revoluble rotor.

In my improved motor this undesirable feature is eliminated by a structure herein set forth, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of the motor taken on the line a9m of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line yg of Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

The same reference characters are used to identify similar parts in the several views.

A base 1 supports a standard 2, a casing 3 and a standard 4. Upon the standard 2 is supported a bearing 5, and the standard 4: is provided with a bearing 6 which supports one end of the rotor 7 by the stud 8. In the bearing 5 and the wall 9 of the rotor, a stationary shaft 10 is supported, said shaft 10 being provided with a crank 11. The shaft lO is held stationary by a bracket on the standard 2. The rotor is provided with cylinders 12, pistons 13, piston-rods 14 and channels or passages 15, all of ordinary construction, and with a tubular sleeve 16 inclosed by a housing 17 preferably formed integral with the bearing 5, said housing having an inlet-port 18 at the bottom and an exhaust port 19 at the top, the ports having channel extensions 20 and 21 on the innor face of the housing and each extending approximately one-fourth way around the same.

The channels 15 extend into the sleeve 16 and each channelis provided with a port 22 in the periphery of the sleeve and in a plane with the inlet and exhaust ports and their respective channel extensions, and is adapted to alternately register with said ports when the rotor revolves.

A nut 23 on the shaft 10 retains the sleeve 16 in the housing 17. The rotor 7 has a bearing 24 on the shaft 10 and its tubular extension 16 has a bearing around the bearing member 5 and also in the housing 17 the latter forming the joint 25 into which the ports 22 and the ports 18 and 19 open. 7

To make the joint 25 fluid-tight, suitable packing rings 26 and 27 are provided which are forced on to the bearing faces by their respective followers 28 and 29, the follower 28 being clamped by a plurality of screws 30 and the follower 29 being clamped by a plurality of bolts 31.

All bearings are provided with a suitable bearing metal, such as babbitt.

It is obvious that with a joint 25 constructed concentric with the shaft 10, as above described and illustrated in the drawings, leakage of steam or operating fluid at that point will be eliminated as the lateral expansion of the shaft 10, due to the heating, will in no way affect the tightness of the joint 25, while the outward pressure of the operating fluid is avoided.

Another great advantage in the structure of this motor is the placing of the inlet port at the bottom of the hearing so that in case the bearing wears the weight of the rotor will always tend to keep the joint at the inlet-port tight. The upper outer end of the standard 2 is provided with a journal bearing 5' for supporting the outer end of the shaft 10.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a steam motor of the described class, the combination of a rotor, a revoluble extension formed integral therewith projectinglaterally from one side thereof, a stationary shaft, a stationary housing inclosing said extension on three sides, to-wit: above, below and at its outer end, said housing also inclosing one end of said shaft, a portion of said housing being interposed between said extension and said shaft, radial inlet and exhaust steam ports leading through the exterior wall of said housing to the steam ports within said extension, the steam pressure within said housing in any direction being adapted to counterbalance and neutralize the pressure in the opposite direction, whereby all lateral pressure of steam within said rotatable extension has no tendency to produce an end thrust in any direction.

2. In a steam motor of the described class, the combination of a rotor provided with a revoluble'extension closed at its outer end and projecting laterally from the side thereof, a stationary shaft, a housing, a portion of said housing being interposed between said extension and said shaft, said shaft extending horizontally through said housing and rotor, radial inlet and exhaust ports leading through the exterior wall of said housing to the steam ports within said revoluble extension, the steam pressure within said extension in any one direction being counterbalanced and neutralized by the pressure in the opposite direction, and a stationary casing secured to the supporting base of said rotor.

3. In a steam motor of the described class, the combination of a rotor provided with a revoluble extension projecting laterally from one side thereof and closed at its outer end, a stationary shaft, a stationary h0using supporting one end of said shaft, radial inlet and exhaust ports leading through the exterior wall of said housing to the steam ports within said revoluble extension, standards for supporting said stationary shaft, said housing being secured to one of said standards surrounding one end of said sta tionary shaft, and inclosing said revoluble extension at its outer end and upon its interior and exterior sides.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GRAVES.

Witnesses:

JAs. B. ERWIN, IRMA D. BREMER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

